


Ain't Nothin but Daydreams

by We_deserve_rainbows



Category: Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn & Related Fandoms, tom sawyer - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Canon Era, Crushes, Crying, Eventual Relationships, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Holding Hands, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pet Names, Truth or Dare, huck draws tom, i want them to be happy i swear, they wanna kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-18 07:55:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21540955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/We_deserve_rainbows/pseuds/We_deserve_rainbows
Summary: Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer have been best friends for so long, they know that it would be wrong to love each other. But as they get older they see the other through more rose-tinted glasses.
Relationships: Huckleberry Finn/Tom Sawyer
Comments: 11
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know no ones gonna read this but i had to write my boys <3

Tom Sawyer was sitting by the river, looking over the gleaming water with content in his eyes, when Huckleberry Finn sauntered over. He sat down next to Tom and gazed at the sky, worry on his face. “Tom,” he reluctantly looked over at his best friend, “do you reckon we’s grown up now?”. He glanced guiltily at the ground. The way he looked at Tom wasn't normal, and yet he allowed his soul to fill with shame as he lifted his head to study Tom’s beautiful features again. 

Tom, who had only just turned 14, fixed a confused gaze on Hucks anxious face, “Why you askin’ Hucky?”. Huck was nervously biting his bottom lip and running his hand through his brown hair. Tom scanned his friend’s agitated face, eyes pausing briefly on his chapped lips. Lips that would be so nice to- Tom, almost unnoticeably, shook his head in a weak attempt to drive any sinful thoughts out of his head.

“Why, we can't run around doin’ whatever we please when we've grown Tom,”. Tom suddenly giggled at his troubled friend and put a relieved hand over his heart, so that was all this was about? He looked back over the river, the adrenaline of seeing Huck so distraught draining from his system, before he said, 

“Nah, I reckon we still got time Hucky,”. Huck let out a nervous laugh and smiled at Tom, “Do you wanna do somthin’ Huck? Play a game or somthin’?” He gazed at Huck with shy eyes.

Huck smirked, trouble fading out of his eyes, “what d’ya got in mind,”. He adjusted his body so that he was sitting cross-legged, looking at Tom expectantly. 

Tom followed suit and redirected himself so that he was facing Huck. He gave a toothy grin and pretended to mull it over before saying, “how bout truth or dare?”. Huck beamed and straightened his back before rubbing his hands together in anticipation. 

“Say, that sounds like a good idea, Tom,” Huck proclaimed, the beginnings of many devious plots forming in his head, “do you wanna go first ducky?” Huck said with a tiny smile, his voice wavering in apprehension towards the end of his sentence.

“Y-yeah, I reckon I would Hucky,” Tom stammered, confidence leaving his voice at a rate that was frankly too fast for his liking. He looked at Huck through his eyelashes as a blush creeping onto his cheeks when he heard the affectionate name, “Truth or dare?” 

Huck contemplated on what to choose, he didn't want to seem afeard by picking truth but because it was so early in the game he decided to anyway, “Truth,” he said with his head lifted and false confidence dripping from his voice. 

Tom giggled at the bravado and lifted his own head and crossed his arms assuredly. He looked Huck dead in the eyes and said with the grandiosity of a million men, “How many people have ya kissed?”. He watched as Huck’s eyes widened almost comically and all of his boastfulness rushed out of his face.

“Well I- Tom- well you see- I-” Huck spluttered as his face flushed red and he looked down at his hands in embarrassment. Tom put a finger up to Huck's mouth to shush him. In response, he let out a squeak of surprise and squeezed his eyes shut a second too late to hide them crossing. Tom’s face softened as he looked at Huck’s face. Tom didn't even try to stop the shameful thoughts that filled his mind about the other boy. 

“You only gotta say one word Hucky,” Tom said gingerly, placing his hands back in his lap. Huck looked at the ground shamefully and slowly shook his head, “You never kissed nobody?” Tom whispered in disbelief, how could anyone not want to kiss him? Another slight shake of his head. Pity mixed with bewilderment filled Tom’s eyes, “You oughtn’t worry Hucky, I’m sure someone will kiss you soon,”. The spark of an idea flashed behind Tom’s eyes and the first timid thoughts of a future dare for Huck filled his mind.

“Hang on Tom,” Huck said suddenly speaking in a louder tone of voice, butterflies starting to act up in his gut, “how can you be so sure I’m gonna get kissed, Tom?”. He saw Tom’s eyes widen when the question was posed and a glimmer of hope entered his head.

When those words came out of Huck's mouth Tom realized that he may have screwed up by phrasing it that way. He absolutely cannot let Huck find out how many times the thought of kissing him until they were both out of breath had crossed his mind in idle moments. What would Huck do if he could see inside his mind right now? Surely he would hate Tom, and he would tell all their friends, and Tom would be thrown out when Aunt Polly found out… but even as he flitted from one bad possibility to a worse one he didn't stop looking at Huck’s lips. He saw Huck look at him from narrowed eyes and said, “I dunno Huck, just got a feelin,” Huck slowly nodded in suspicious understanding, “anyway, ain't it your turn Hucky,” 

“Oh yeah, I’d reckon it is Tom,” Huck said, smacking his palm against his forehead, suspicion leaving his face while he contemplated possible truths and dares for Tom, “truth or dare?”

Tom softly giggled at Hucks forgetfulness and barely even considered it before saying, “I wanna truth Huck,”

Huck beamed at Tom and had a sudden thought, “Say, how many people have you kissed Tom?” he said, genuine curiosity in his eyes as he looked languidly at Tom. 

Tom smiled and straightened his back and looked down at Huckleberry with playful disdain, “Well, I'll tell ya Hucky,” swagger filled his voice and Huck grinned to try to match Toms demeanor, “I’ve kissed two girls,” Tom plainly stated, everything about him screaming “pride” at that very moment. He grinned at Huck and tried not to let on that he would give anything for him to be the third.

Huck looked at Tom and rolled his eyes, “Oh yeah, how old were we? About ten? Huh mister playboy?” he teased since he knew that he hadn’t kissed Becky or Amy since they were four years younger. Tom blushed and started to splutter some response in his defense but Huckleberry cut him off with a giggle and saying, “Oh shush Ducky I’m just teasing,” Hucks face went from jovial to anxious and worried as soon as he realized that he had called Tom “ducky” out loud. What was he thinking? He couldn't just go around calling pretty boys pet names!

Tom’s face flushed a brighter pink than Huck had ever seen and he mumbled something about Aunt Polly wanting him home early and ran off, leaving Huck feeling alone and confused.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Huck sat on the small pier that he and Tom used to play and fish at when they were little, his feet sitting idle in the water as he looked at the night sky. He stared at the stars, so lost in thought that he didn't even notice tears start to fall down his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!! i hope you like it!!!

Huck sat on the small pier that he and Tom used to play and fish at when they were little, his feet sitting idle in the water as he looked at the night sky. He stared at the stars, so lost in thought that he didn't even notice tears start to fall down his cheeks. He wiped his face and looked at his wet hands with surprise that felt disassociated from himself. He folded his hands in his lap and continued to look at the sky, tears occasionally falling down his face. 

Huckleberry started at a sudden noise behind and jumped to turn around only to see Tom Sawyer standing bashfully with his hands behind his back and a shy smile on his face. Huck looked at him and felt real tears start to well up in his eyes for the first time, Toms face fell and he held up his palms, “Hucky? I thought id find ya here, are ya oka-” he was cut off by Huck engulfing him in a hug, making them both stumble backwards. A light pink dusted Toms cheeks and he awkwardly hugged Huck back before stepping backwards and gently prying Huck off of him. Toms bewildered expression morphed into one of concern as Hucks tears continued to fall and he offered no explanation, opting instead to turn away and sit back down on the dock, wordlessly staring into the sky. 

Tom glanced nervously around, chewing his lip indecisively before gingerly sitting down next to Huck, he placed an awkward arm around Hucks shoulders, which only seemed to upset Huck further. Tom was at a loss for words, seeing Huckleberry this upset seemed to inspire a physical pain in his chest, “Huck… what goin’ on?” 

Huck looked over at Tom with teary eyes, he tried to speak but the words got caught in his throat, he reconsidered what he was going to say. He seemed to shrink in on himself, staring into the glittering blue eyes of his best friend. To Huck, Toms face in the moonlight was the only thing that mattered, and a very beautiful thing at that, he couldn't bring himself to tell Tom the real thing that was upsetting him. He couldn't bear confessing to him that his freckled face was the thing keeping him awake at night, his voice playing on repeat in his mind at all times. No, if all it took to keep that face in his life was to keep mum then he could do it, he had to be able to, for everyone's sake. 

“It's nothin’...” Huck trailed off, attempting to give Tom a real enough smile to convince him that everything was actually fine. Despite the tears still gathered in his eyes he nodded at Tom like that was a confirmation of his well being. 

Tom sat in stunned silence, staring at his best friend, the only time he had seen Huck like this was back in their boyhood when Huck's drunkard of a father beat him and his mother something awful. He took Hucks hand gently in his own, unsure of his own movements, “Are you sure buddy..?” his voice was gentle as he said it, but a flush crept up his neck as he held Hucks hand, God he was disgusting, he thought to himself, you can't keep your hands off him for two seconds to comfort him? He ignored those thoughts and gazed intently as Huck.

While that was going through Tom’s head Huck was having his own tiny crisis at Tom holding his hand. He sucked in a sudden breath through his teeth and held his hand gingerly while his face turned crimson and he thanked God for the darkness hiding his blush. He tried to formulate a response to Tom's simple question but found it difficult to do anything but feel Tom’s hand in his, nevertheless, he persisted. After all, Tom holding his hand was just to comfort him, right? “Yeah, Tom, I’m okay, it's really not something you gotta bother yourself with,” Huck smiled weakly at him, the fact that they were holding hands was quickly slipping into that part of his mind where he considered it the most natural thing in the world, like his hand was fated to be in Toms. And without his consent, Tom's hand in his faded into a pleasant eventuality in his head. Tom's mere presence around Huck causing his tears to slow and then stop completely. 

“O-okay,” he said, Hucks words seeming thin even to him, but he let it go, hoping that Huck would tell him if it really mattered, “I trust you,” he rested their connected hands between them, waiting for Huckelberry to make the first move to disconnect them and when he didn't Tom softly smiled at the brown eyes of the boy. The thoughts of Huck's lips ran through his head, although they were quickly banished by Tom while he looked at the water swirling around their legs. They both let their feet sit in the cool water one looking at the sky, and the other looking at the water, both of them thinking about what it would be like to kiss the other. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, until Huck became suddenly aware of the warmth of their hands together and realized that most friends don't hold hands. He let go of Toms hand and looked over in terror, like he thought that Tom had also forgotten their hands clasped between them. Tom winced and his heart fell as he saw the panic-stricken face of his closest friend. 

“H-huck,” Tom started, trepidation dripping off of every word, “I’m sorry, it's my fault! I didn't, I didn't mean it to do that,” Huck's panic proving contagious, although it was fading to mere nervousness as Tom stuttered on. 

As Tom continued to talk, Huck put a finger up to Toms lips, indicating him to be quiet so that he could talk, and that's exactly what Tom did, albeit with a blush, “Tom, don't worry ‘bout it,” Huck smiled, returning his folded hands to his lap, “It weren’t bad,” he said, carefully considering his words before he spoke, “just different,”. Tom let out a relieved giggle and looked down in slight embarrassment.

“Well, alright, Hucky,” Tom said, the panic that ebbed and flowed in his veins moments changing into contented peace, “I'm sorry Huck, but I gotta head back home,” He got up with a smile and started strolling away without further pleasantries.

Huck smiled at the sky and called after him, “Bye, ducky,” he no longer felt so awkward about the nickname, he sighed in content and laughed at his silliness for a few minutes before getting up to go home as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment if you want! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Huck realizes that he is in love with Tom.

It was a warm Saturday and Huckleberry Finn was on his way to his best friend's house. He grinned as he walked down the dirt road that led from the Widow's house to town. Despite what had happened last night and the awkwardness that he was sure would come about as a result today, he still hummed a jaunty tune as he walked. He swung the tackle box from front to back as he imagined all the fun that they would have today, and how pretty Tom would look, hair all wet from river water and that beautiful smile on his face. Huck's humming gradually tapered off as he considered his friendship with Tom, he thought about all the days and nights they had spent together, their adventures and the soft smiles that they had shared, and he came to a sudden realization.

Huck was in love with Tom. His mouth opened in silent surprise, the tackle box falling from limp hands. He had always known, in the back of his mind, that he fancied the boys, and not the girls of their little town, but he had been too scared to confront that part of himself until now. He stumbled to the side of the dirt road to think, he sat down on a rock and buried his face in his hands, how could this happen? Tom was his best friend for heaven's sake! He threw down his hands and groaned out loud, a shameful blush spreading over his face. He didn't know exactly what tipped him off to his crush, maybe it was his inability to stay away from Tom for long, maybe it was the secret glances he gave whenever Tom wasn't looking, but at any rate, he needed to make sure Tom never found out, his life would be hell if Tom found out that his best friend, a boy, was in love with him. He composed himself the best he could and continued the trek to Tom's house, his unlawful crush holding a monopoly over his mind. 

The dust stung his throat as he stepped into town, and he looked at his feet as he made his way to Tom's house. As he passed by the tavern a scruffy looking man with a tipsy twinkle in his eyes and a smile on his face shuffled out of the bar. Muff Potter looked around, blinking in the sudden sunlight, and when he saw Huckleberry he laughed and called out, “Hey there, Huck,”

Huck looked up in surprise and gave a half-smile as he waved to Muff, “Hey..” Huck turned his gaze back to his feet, his nervous shame still evident on his face despite his efforts to conceal it. 

Potters face fell from a grin to a look of concern as he examined Huck, who was shifting his weight from one foot to another and chewing on his bottom lip restlessly. “Are ya alright son?” ever since Huckleberry and Tom had saved him at the trial he had felt protective over the boys. 

“Well, Muff, I'm afeard I don't rightly know,” Huck muttered, trailing off towards the end and still unable to look Potter in the eye. When Potter made a worried noise Huck gathered his courage and stared into Potters concerned eyes, he wanted to say something, but it felt like the words were stuck in his throat, “I-” he swallowed and screwed his eyes shut, “it's about Tom,” he weakly mumbled.   
“What about him?” Potter started before he got a proper look at Huck. His face was pink and he looked as if the demons under the road would kill him if he let them, and realization dawned on him, “Oh, oh I'm so sorry Huck,” Potter had seen this happen time and time again, and it almost never ended well, he placed a sympathetic hand on Huck's shoulder and smiled, “I don't know what advice to give ya, but I know that Tom’s yer friend ayn that he wouldn't never hurt you,” 

Huck looked up with a watery smile and let out a relieved laugh, happy that the man didn't whip him or something of the sort, “Thank ya Muff, I've gotta be on my way, see, I'm on my way t’ see Tom now," Muff gave a warm smile and stepped away, stumbling in the direction of his home. Huck sighed and tried his very best to banish the happy feeling in his chest at the mere thought of talking to Tom again that refused to go away. He started walking again, the spring in his step more or less returned by the reassurances of Muff Potter. The singing of his heart not the least bit quieted by the knowledge that if anyone knew why he could very well be put to death. 

As he arrived at the Sawyer household, he quieted his thoughts and made the resolve to not let Tom ever find out about Huck's true feelings towards him. He raised his fist to knock and paused to let out a deep breath, before rapping three times on the wooden door, a persistent smile making its way back onto his face. Crushing anxiety filled his head when the door didn't open immediately, did Tom know? He knew that there was no way, Huck himself barely knew until this morning, but all rational flew out of the figurative window and for a brief moment, he was drowning in unadulterated panic. 

But then Tom opened the door, smiling like mad, and all of Huck's insecurities vanished. “Heya Huck!” Tom exclaimed, slamming the door behind him when he spotted the tackle box in Huckleberry's hands, “So we’s goin’ fishin’ or what?” He grinned, seemingly oblivious to the plight of his friend.

“Yeah, I was thinking’ we could,” Huck chuckled, scarlet creeping onto his face, and praying that Tom mistook it for simple excitement, instead of sinful admiration. 

Tom nodded thoughtfully before suddenly sprinting off towards the secluded spot that they fished from, shouting “Race ya!” after him, leaving Huck momentarily stunned.  
His wide eyes flashed with competitiveness and he shot off in the same direction as Tom. Huck inevitably lost, given he was a fair bit shorter than his companion, but he laughed breathlessly and sat down next to Tom, who was already dangling his feet in the water. He set down the tackle box between the two of them and got his breath back while Tom got their fishing things ready. Toms eyes glinted with curiosity when he saw an unusual item in Huck's fishing gear, a fancy leather notebook. So, overcome with interest in this anomaly, Tom grabbed the notebook and stood up, leaving the forgotten fishing things on the wood.

He opened the notebook to a random page, smiling good naturedly as he looked at the paper, Huck had noticed Tom stand up by then and was looking over his shoulder almost languidly before he saw exactly what it was that Tom was holding. Huckleberry had foolishly forgotten to take his journal out of the tackle box the night before, and now he flew up in a panic, terrified of Tom seeing what he had in that notebook. In that notebook there were a fair few sketches of Tom, which might be telling if said boy could tell just how much love and effort went into every line of every drawing, but far more incriminating was a list. Now, Huck had written this list in the late hours of the night, after smoking something that made him dizzy and wish for Tom to kiss him then and there, but as Huck could not have that he settled for writing a list. A list of everything he loved about Tom, a full two pages of him waxing poetic about the way his eyes look in the sun, or the upturn of his lips when he wants to laugh but can't. 

Huck jumped up, reaching for the notebook that Tom was holding above his head, looking at the pages as he held it away from Huck, “Awwww these are some pretty nice pictures of me Hucky,” Tom smirked, flipping to the next page and seeing more pictures, and not seeing his friends fear-stricken face. Huckleberry didn't answer, still attempting to battle their height difference and get the book, knowing that he would get to that dreaded page any moment and that would be that. Tom laughed at Huck's insistence to get the book back, turning the page and seeing the first words he had yet seen, “Ohhh what's this Hucky, a love letter?” 

Hearing those horrible words Huck knew that it was all over and he gave up the fight, he sat down on the dock, hiding his face in his hands. He listened, straining his ears for a noise of disgust, sure in his assumption that these moments would be the last that he was friends with Tom Sawyer. He heard soft footsteps towards where he sat and braced himself for the worst before hearing a soft, “Hucky.. I feel the same way,” Huck looked up in surprise, not believing what he was hearing.

“D’ya really?” Huck said after a long pause, pink dusting his face. Tom nodded and instead of saying anything more he gently took Hucks face in his hand and pressed his lips to Hucks. It wasn't a long kiss, but they were both so happy and so relieved that neither hated the other that they burst into giggles, and they intertwined their hand and pressed their foreheads together, elated and smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it!!!! i dont know if i should do another chapter, so let me know if youd like a proper epilogue to this <33
> 
> also comment if you like, i really appreciate all the comments and kudos i get,   
> xx

**Author's Note:**

> if ya read it and ya liked it please leave a comment :3 <3


End file.
